Reflection of henna ritual on contemporary ceramic forms

Fire, earth and man… Ever since humankind existed, it has wanted to believe in a creative power. Over time, this instinct to believe put him into situations that gave him various meanings, the dance of earth and fire fascinated him and he became a creator. Inanimate works, in which clay was shaped by human hands, met with fire, and came to life again from that fire, have survived to the present day, and this tradition still continues by changing, transforming and developing. In line with this belief, people began to create rituals and name them. One of these, "henna", has played an important role in the lives of societies since ancient times. People who attributed mystical meanings to this material, which is used for cosmetic, health and religious reasons, have diversified it and made it a part of the ceremony. Although the health benefits of henna are discussed, it is thought that it fascinates people by creating a mystical feeling in people psychologically due to the feeling it creates and the type of ceremony it is applied to. The most important factor that plays a role in the formation of this mystical state is undoubtedly the way the ritual is performed, the smell, texture of henna, its meaning, the music used, laments and folk songs make the henna ritual magical and create different emotions in the person. All of these are a source of inspiration for artists. Within the scope of this thesis, research has been conducted on the henna ritual, henna material and its use, which have found a wide place in Turkish culture. Inspired by these rituals, applications that reflect the connection between traditional tattoo motifs and the theme of sacrifice on contemporary ceramic forms have been realized.